Mastering DVD's and Blu-Rays

[Jeremy Wiles]

When it comes to mastering a final project onto a disc, I could pull out my hair. There are so many variables. Software and codecs are changing all the time. A few years ago I began following a process for creating a DVD (720x480). It looked like this:

1. Export a full resolution 1080p file from Premiere using Quicktime Animation codec at 100%.
2. Take that file into After Effects onto a comp set at 720x480 with a PAR of 1.2.
3. In Encore, import the After Effects comp using "adobe dynamic link".
4. In Encore, change the "interpret footage" to PAR 1.2 (widescreen).

The reason for this process is because Premiere does a bad job of scaling footage, so I used AE to scale the footage instead.

So, I'm wondering if this is still a good process to follow? Or, have new techniques been developed?

Should I just export a MPEG2 Blu-ray file from Premiere instead of a QT Animation? Since my final destination is a DVD, it's going to get re-encoded to mpeg2-dvd anyway.

I currently have a 5-hour project that's taken the last 2 years of my life. It will go onto 5 DVDs. Exporting 1 hour of 1080p footage using QT Animation results in a 430GB file. I exported the same file using MPEG2 Blu-ray and it was only 13GB, but it looks washed out. MPEG2 was released in 1996. My system is experiencing a lot of crashes with H.264, otherwise I would try it.

I would like to hear your method that's resulted in the best quality DVD or Blu-ray. Yes, I would prefer to use a compressionist, but that's not going to happen on this project.

Thanks for all the advice.

Jeremy

 

[Chris McKechnie]

I would export a master pro res HQ file from premier, then use Media Encoder for your transcoding.

I haven't authored a SD DVD in a LONG time, so I wouldn't know the best settings for that, but as far as Blu-Rays, I normally encode to H264 Blu-ray at a CBR of 25MB/Sec. For longer programs, you can adjust that bit-rate, or burn a dual-layered disc, which supports 50GB. You can fit a lot of content at 25MB/Sec on a dual layered disc. Make sure your default transcode settings for Blu-Ray within encore are set up the same, so encore won't re-transcode your show.

 

[Jeremy Wiles]

Thanks Chris!